Questions about basking ridge ? (Jersey City, Hoboken: fit in, real estate, houses)

[house_search_NJ]

We know that the schools are good and houses expensive. Basking Ridge has a more rural setting. We have considered other towns before but finally settled on Basking Ridge. We need newer houses which rules out summit, berkeley heights.

Hopefully someone who lives in Basking Ridge can chime in -

1. How is the commute to NYC downtown ? Heard there's a Lyon's Stations and Basking Ridge station for NJ Transit. Assuming your in the "hills community" what sort of drive to station, parking (paid lots etc.), train travel time are we looking for ?

2. Can we consider any other stations other than lyons and basking ridge ?

3. Any bus service ? How far is the parking and bus ride ?

4. Does anyone drive to Jersey City for work from Basking Ridge ? What sort of commute is that assuming office is close to Newport Mall ?

Are there folks who would not want to move to basking ridge as its considered a rich people's town ? We can afford a nice house there but by no means I want to compete with the "rich and famous" and be forced to fit in. Does anyone living there feel a pressure to fit it, do things differently than they would normally ?

Would appreciate any advise. Thanks

[JenniferBlanchard]

Hi there! I live and work in Basking Ridge; we've been here since 1998 and we have four children in the school system. I don't commute to the city, but lots of people do that from here. You can go from Lyons or Basking Ridge - a parking decal is $150 for residents - sure, you can use a different station, but I'm not sure about parking. You could hop on 78 to Jersey City or Hoboken and take the path. You can take the bus - I think it might actually be quicker than the train depending upon where you need to go.

As far as "keeping up with the Joneses", there is some of that going on, but there are lots and lots of every day people here working hard and holding onto their values. My kids (6, 8, 10 and 11) don't have cell phones, and didn't have a Wii until last year. We don't ski every weekend and we only just got to Disney this year for the first time ever. I'm normal, I do feel pressure sometimes - like when my 8 year old doesn't understand why she can't have an iPod Touch when many (okay one) of her friends has one ... but the pressure comes from myself, not my neighbors.

Basking Ridge is a GREAT town. There are so many opportunities here for the kids - the schools are great, the Y is fantastic, my girls are in scouts. There are lots of parks, the recreation department has all kinds of activities for kids as young as toddlers up to day trips for seniors. Drama, sports, you name it, it's here.
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[house_search_NJ]

Thanks for your reply. It means a lot coming from a basking ridge resident with kids. Makes me feel better about my choice.

[skiingkatei]

Do you have any frame of reference moving from Westchester County (Bedford/Mt. Kisco) to Basking Ridge? I am VERY serious about a move from WC to B. Ridge

[STrapani1105]

Originally Posted by house_search_NJ

We know that the schools are good and houses expensive. Basking Ridge has a more rural setting. We have considered other towns before but finally settled on Basking Ridge. We need newer houses which rules out summit, berkeley heights.

Hopefully someone who lives in Basking Ridge can chime in -

1. How is the commute to NYC downtown ? Heard there's a Lyon's Stations and Basking Ridge station for NJ Transit. Assuming your in the "hills community" what sort of drive to station, parking (paid lots etc.), train travel time are we looking for ?

2. Can we consider any other stations other than lyons and basking ridge ?

3. Any bus service ? How far is the parking and bus ride ?

4. Does anyone drive to Jersey City for work from Basking Ridge ? What sort of commute is that assuming office is close to Newport Mall ?

Are there folks who would not want to move to basking ridge as its considered a rich people's town ? We can afford a nice house there but by no means I want to compete with the "rich and famous" and be forced to fit in. Does anyone living there feel a pressure to fit it, do things differently than they would normally ?

Would appreciate any advise. Thanks

I'm not from Basking Ridge, but I grew up in a town not too far away and I worked in Bernardsville (which borders Basking Ridge) for a while, so I know a good number of people from Basking Ridge. If you move there, be prepared to drive at least 6 miles to go anywhere. To me personally, that doesn't appeal to me, but I understand that being in a small community that is somewhat isolated is appealing to some people, like the real estate agent who posted on this thread a couple posts ahead of me.

No disrespect, I understand that it appeals to some people and I respect that. But most of the people I knew from Basking Ridge when I was growing up would often gripe about how we would have to go at least 6 miles to go anyway. If we wanted chicken from Cluck-U we'd have to go to Morristown, White Castle we'd have to go to Green Brook, Applebee's we'd have to go to Bridgewater, McDonald's we'd have to go to Morris Plains... and that's for a freaking McDonald's and they are everywhere! I think it's pathetic that someone from Basking Ridge or the area where I grew up in Mendham has to go to Morris Plains or Flanders for a Big Mac. That's just my opinion though....

[Mundol]

Take a look at Long Valley. You can take a train to NYC from Hackettstown, Whitehouse Station and High Bridge as well as a bus from Clinton. Easy parking. Don't need a permit. A rural but upscale place with plenty of affluence. Next town over from Tewksbury and Chester.